BSSM Mystique
by Ariake Mikazuki
Summary: Based on the Sailormoon Millennia Trilogy, BSSM Mystique takes place after Sailormoon Neo, after the Sol Kingdom has replaced Usa-chan's rule. For 17 years, the heirs of the Neo Senshi remain forgotten, until a voice begins murmuring for an awakening...
1. Prologue

Prologue ~ Forgotten Dawn

The mighty Sun flung her golden rays across the land, and all that dwelled under her azure cloak, seemed eager to welcome her. The gushing rivers shimmered in pride, and the tall mountains reached out even further to embrace her. The lush forests flourished – as if they had been granted a new breath of life – and unhesitatingly, enveloped the in a carpet of greenery.  
  
But the Moon remained in her corner, reluctant to fade into the brilliance of Day. Night blanketed her, as it always would to protect her. And the flickering Stars – being too shy to venture into the Realm of Light – continued to stay by her side, cowering in fear of the glaring rays of Day's eye. The land was barren where Night ruled, and the haunting winds that swept across the empty grounds, wept silently for a dawn that ceased to arrive.   
  
It couldn't seem more absurd to have these two figures in the Sky at once, battling one another, each one too stubborn to give in to the other. Still, there were those who found pleasure in this absurdity, those who found the divided Sky to be an amusing sight. She was one – merely a child – yet with the power to stand unshaken upon the boundary of Light and Shadow.   
  
This child – despite her age – was already holding true to the essence of her name: Immortality. For she was really the bird of Flame arisen from the ashes; a new era built upon the ruins of the old. And although she would someday perish in the fires, she was bound to emerge again, reborn with powers greater than the mighty Sun from which she was born.   
  
Her name… Phoenix. 

  
  
-----

  
  
"Here is her daughter, as promised…"  
  
The hooded figure raised her cloak, but only high enough to reveal a sleeping child in her arms. She had cautiously kept her hood on, but as he reached out for the small, curled-up body, his deep russet eyes met the cold blue ones of the cloaked woman. He noted the caution in those eyes – the urgency – and at once, he knew.  
  
"My gratitude is yours…" His voiced trailed off as his trembling fingers caressed the rosy cheeks of the child in deep slumber. Pale locks of hair framed the child's tiny face, and on its face was an expression of serenity. This child, young and innocent, she did not know – not of her cruel fate that stained her past.  
  
"Keep her safe…" The woman spoke again, her voice kept low. He did not hear her for he was too lost in his own thoughts as he gazed at the beautiful child, thinking of how much it resembled its mother. A dreamy smile crossed his cracked lips, but that smile melted away the instant the infant's mother came into mind, and he snapped out of his thoughts, returning to reality's dark gloom.   
  
"Her mother… The child's mother… How is she?" He tried to sound as least desperate as possible, but his voice was shaky – tainted with hidden sorrow.   
  
The woman kept her silence this time. She shook her head slowly, raising a finger to her own lips, before pressing it to his. It was as if she was trying to say that she would not speak a word of it, and she wished that he would do the same. He did as he was signalled to, but despite his silence, his soul was screaming, writhing in agony deep inside.   
  
"What… What about the others…?" He asked again, his voice suddenly hoarse, and shakier than ever.   
  
The cloaked woman seemed to hesitate, taking longer than usual to answer the question.   
  
"The others. They…" She took a quick glance around, although she knew perfectly well that the tall trees of the forest were their only companions. "They are in good hands."  
  
He nodded slowly; satisfied with her answer. The child stirred again, and he drew it closer under his cloak to keep it warm.  
  
"Then I must go now…"   
  
The first rays of morning were now filtering through the branches that hovered over their heads, casting eerie, spidery shadows upon the ground. He could sense her anxiousness intensifying, and her eagerness to leave the place quickly. There was danger lurking around; ears listened from unseen hollows, and eyes were sharp even in the darkest shadows.  
  
She turned around, and began walking away as the tall, green-haired man stood rooted to the ground.   
  
"Sin?" The woman stopped in her tracks, several yards away when he called her name.  
  
"Take care…"  
  
"You too, Anshar…"  
  
Her voice echoed, dissolving into the cold morning air as she too, vanished out of sight.   
  


  
------

  
  
_Too long has my slumber these past moons been restless…_  
  
The Sun hovered above in the Heavens, smiling down proudly at those below her. There were none to oppose her, now that Day alone ruled the Sky. The land would no longer be barren, for she would warm the blowing winds, and richen the earth with her golden gaze.   
  
_The Moon… Where is she?_  
  
Neither the Moon, nor her faithful companion, appeared to be anywhere in sight. Even the tiny Stars, being too rash to flee the Sun, had faltered, and plunged into the Lake below. But the Moon had not slipped away tracelessly – where Night lay, trails of red streaked the Sky, growing fainter as Day reached for the horizon.  
  
_There has been bloodshed…_  
  
In the echoing Silence, eight pillars stood in the shallow Lake, guarded by the thick perimeter of woods that fenced the garden. The air was silent, but not still, for the spirits of the Wind tumbled across the Lake's surface, whispering and murmuring to one another in a tongue that few ears recognised.   
  
_…The First has Wings frozen and cold…_  
  
The tallest pillar was one made of ice, its crystal-like exterior shimmering in the pale rays of the Sun.   
  
_…The Second struggles in chains of gold…_  
  
Standing next to the pillar of ice was one made of silvery metal, and that pillar had chains binding it – thick, heavy chains of precious gold.   
  
_…The Third is Fire with Eyes blinded…_  
  
Upon the third pillar was a statue of a winged child – an angel – her eyes blindfolded and her limbs chained. Red flames licked at her feet mercilessly like fiery serpents.   
  
_…The Fourth lies and forgets in the depths of the wild…_  
  
The fourth pillar was a carving of a dragon, a majestic creature reaching up for the Heavens. Its wooden body was hardly visible, for it had been densely blanketed in moss and ivy.  
  
_…The Fifth hesitates to dwell in Shadow…_  
  
Facing the icy pillar, an ebony black tower stood erect, partly hidden by the ghostly shadows cast over by the trees in the background.  
  
_…The Sixth lies embedded in Stone…_  
  
The sixth pillar had ancient runes carved into its stony surface. A sword – its hilt encrusted with glittering jewels – had its blade sunken deep into that pillar.   
  
_…The Seventh drowns in deep Oceans…_  
  
The seventh pillar was the one hardly standing, for its base had crumbled, and all left of it was scattered slabs of stone lying submerged in the waters of the Lake.  
  
_…The Eight is lost in Time's maze…_  
  
The eighth and final pillar appeared to be anything but solid. It looked more like a swirl of shadows trapped in a web of white mist, and seemed more ethereal compared to the other pillars in the circle.  
  
_…It is Time to awaken…_  
  
This garden had remained undisturbed for aeons. Time had never passed here, and never will. The guardian woods bear witness to this; the trees never grow, nor falter in these sacred grounds. The snow upon the gnarled branches never melts, and decay never devours the fallen leaves of the trees. The radiance of the golden silk draping the trees never dims, and continues to bathe the everlasting blossoms in its soothing glow.   
  
_…Reflections do not lie…_  
  
No ripple dared touch the glassy surface of the Lake, thus calm were the waters kept. It was almost mirror-like, yet if any being should bend over, and gaze at its reflection, it would see nothing, but the cracked bed of the Lake underneath all that clear liquid. There was, however one image that the Lake could not refuse to reflect, and it was that of the Sky above.  
  
_…Remember the forgotten dawn…_  
  
A crescent Moon, not the golden Sun, shone on the surface of the Lake. There was no reflection of Day, for that new Moon was obviously lingering at the time of young Dawn. The Stars were again by the Moon's side, always faithful, even out of Night's embrace. Treacherous grey clouds, though absent in the blue Sky above, haunted the image on the Lake, almost determined to suffocate all others that dwelled in the reflection.  
  
_…Do not flee, for Hope still survives…_  
  
There was a door in a distance, made almost invisible by the grotesque shadows cast of the greying trees. A brass key, worn out by time, settled in its hole in the rusted door.  
  
_…It is Time to awaken…_  
  
That escape, seemed so close, yet so out of reach.  
  
_…It is Time to awaken, Dreamer!_   
  



	2. Chapter One

Chapter One ~ Revival

_A past that is lost – is it one that matters?_

Phoenix gazed at the world before her, her golden eyes surveying the Sol Kingdom in the very first rays of morning. This land, it was still young, younger than herself, for she had lived many lives, lives in Kingdoms more ancient than the Kingdom of Sol. But it appeared the other way around, as it was the Empress Eos that created this land – this peaceful place of prosperity – and Phoenix was her granddaughter, and heir to the throne. 

Yet this land was not always peaceful, and Phoenix – despite the silence that the Family kept about the events of the past – she knew that the Sol Kingdom was built upon the ruins upon the Neo Silver Millennium. A traitor's blood ran in the veins of the Silver Millennium's rulers, and the last one was a tyrant; bloodthirsty and chaos loving. It was Eos that put an end to Selenity's rule, and built upon the ashes of the old a Kingdom that rightfully belonged to the Sun Family – the Kingdom of Sol.

Phoenix closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around her waist as a soft breeze strayed into her chamber through the open window. It seemed as if she was enjoying the cool morning air, but she was in reality pondering upon her own thoughts; recalling memories of the past – _visions of a past life_. A faint smile crossed her lips, one of satisfaction and glee.

Eos had not only reclaimed what was rightfully hers -- she had avenged the deaths of many, and restored the pride of a fallen empire. 

Her eyes snapped open, but the smile continued to linger on her lips. She could hear the door to her chamber being pushed open, and close behind the one who stepped in. Phoenix did not turn around, for she already knew who it was, and that that person was already bowing low before her.

"I am here, My Queen…" it was a soft voice that spoke – one almost deprived of all emotions save that of loyalty to the young lady at the window. Its owner was one no older than Phoenix herself; a petite raven-haired girl, one dressed in clothes too luxurious to be one of the servant-maidens, yet too bland to be a true member of the Royal Family.

Phoenix took no notice of the girl walking towards her. Her gaze was once again fixed on the City outside. She knew that the Neo Silver Millennium was a city of glass and steel, a place filled with carriages and devices foreign to her – much unlike the brown wooden buildings that presently lay before her eyes. 'Modern technology' – if those were the words to describe it – was what Eos despised, calling them achievements of the Traitor, and she would rather start anew without them, even if it meant being labelled as 'taking a step backwards'. But it hardly mattered that she chose to use the Iridescent Jewel, for not much was left of the Old World after the Revolution – not even citizens to object any of her doings.   

Yet somehow, the Iridescent Jewel had failed to erase all traces of the Old World, and the remnants of the past were now stirring disturbingly in the dust. While others slept, and stayed blind to such happenings, Phoenix kept vigil, aware of all that was bound to happen in her kingdom. She was not threatened by the events that took place (or those that were going to happen), but despite all the power she possessed, they certainly weren't comforting to think about. 

"Tell me, Xia Yan… What do you see?" Phoenix spoke after a while, the smile on her face no longer there. She glanced at the girl beside her from over her shoulder, and saw that she was silently obeying her order. Xia Yan had closed her eyes, for what she was meant to see was not visible to open eyes, but to an open mind. 

"The Red Moon hovers in the sky, Your Majesty," Xia Yan said after several moments - softly - but once again audible enough in the silence of the chamber. 

"But has the Red Moon not fallen?" Phoenix set her sights far beyond the horizon. She looked the least interested, but she was, in truth, carefully deciphering what she was told. The Red Moon, as it always did in Xia Yan's visions, stood for the last ruler of the Neo Silver Millennium - Selenity.

"It hovers low, My Liege. A sapling grows in its light, in a ring of tall trees…"

"…And the time of day?"

"It is approaching twilight. There are pale clouds, but they do not hide the Moon well…"

"Is that all?"

"Yes, My Queen…"

Xia Yan - despite Phoenix's turned back - could tell that her mistress was smiling once more, even giggling silently at what she was told. Despite their closeness of nearly a decade, Xia Yan still found it nearly impossible to read her mistress's mind. But even if she could, she would choose not to. After all, why should she, when she was content to serve Phoenix faithfully, and remain by her side? 

"The Red Moon rises…" Phoenix repeated aloud. She turned away from the window, still smiling as she moved towards the door. She signalled for Xia Yan to follow her, which the timid girl did wordlessly. 

"…And we shall see."    

-----

_Come to me…_

Neona Anstice woke up with a start, blue eyes wide as she searched for the source of the voice. She found no one, and for a while, being unused to such silence, wondered why she was alone in the hall. It was only after several moments that she recalled that she was _indeed_ alone, as both Anshar and Axel had gone out to run some errands, and she was put in charge of the inn until they returned. 

Neona sighed, tapping the top of the wooden counter as she gazed nonchalantly at the unusually blank guest book before her. She did not like being left alone, and the lack of life and merry sounds in the inn disturbed her greatly. It bothered Neona not to have somebody to talk to, and it troubled her even more that she was beginning to hear voices in her head. 

She threw another impatient glance at the clock by her side, and once again, sighed in frustration. Neona quickly made up her mind that she wasn't going to sit there all day long, even if it had been Anshar who gave her the orders to wait at the reception in case someone should come. There wasn't anybody coming anyway, not in an entire week, and it was such a waste to stay indoors, when the weather was fine enough for her to go outside. 

Grinning to herself, Neona immediately left the main hall and headed towards the stables on the east wing of the building. Peta was in the meadow, and upon seeing that his mistress was coming, greeted Neona with a loud neigh. Neona replied with an affectionate rub on his neck, before laying her head upon the stallion's warm body, happy to finally have a companion to ease her loneliness. 

_Come… Come to me, my child…_

Neona got up with a jolt, almost as if she had just touched a steaming hot kettle. It was that voice again, only this time she noticed it sounded less ethereal than before. She looked around nervously, feeling more puzzled when she found that there wasn't anyone else there save Peta and herself. Perhaps it was only her imagination, or the wind, which sometimes made sounds similar to that of whispering voices. Or perhaps…

_Rain?_ Neona looked up at the sky above, more confused than ever when she felt drops of rain falling onto her bare skin. It was fairly weird that it was beginning to drizzle when the weather was sunny hardly minutes ago. The pale-haired girl drew closer to her horse, feeling awkwardly afraid all of a sudden, when she heard the same female voice again:

_…Come… Come to me… Come to me…_

The voice, now harsher and louder than before, echoed in her ears like a ringing bell. Then, without truly understanding what she was doing, Neona mounted Peta, and whispered to the horse words that sounded foreign even to her own ears. Peta neighed, and started galloping northeast towards the edge of the neighbouring Donoma Woods. 

Neona could hear the rushing wind as Peta gained speed, and feel the cold rain slapping onto her face. She clung onto the palomino by his mane, somehow unshaken by the abnormal speed at which they were moving. The trees on both sides became a blur of dark green, and eventually turned white. She was not frightened at all, and in fact, feeling greatly exhilarated. Neona burst out into laughter as she rode on Peta's back, giggling like an amused young child.  

She did not know how long she was on horseback, but when she finally returned to her senses, it was when Peta came to an abrupt halt, thus throwing her off his back. Her short-lived excitement dissolved quickly into the dark gloom of the woods, and as Neona tumbled into darkness, a searing pain shot through her body and she remembered no more.

-----

Neona moaned softly, and tried to lift her hand to her aching head. But she realised that she could not move her arm, for it hurt her greatly when she tried, and it tormented her even more than her painful head did. 

"Please, lie still and don't move. That limb's badly injured…"

She groaned again, this time attempting to open her eyes. Her vision was blurred by tears, and worsened by the shadows cast by the trees in the light of the moon. It took Neona several moments to make out what - or who - was kneeling over her. A lady it was, unnaturally pale in the dim moonlight, and with long locks of hair tumbling down her cloaked shoulders.

"…Whe… Where am I?" Neona croaked, her eyes scanning the gloomy surroundings around her. "What… What happened to me??"

"You must have fallen from a horse, from how you've injured your arm. Absurd thing, I must say, for a girl like you to ride horseback in these woods, and in the rain as well… How are you feeling now?"

With much difficulty, Neona turned towards her limp arm on her left, and saw that the woman had placed her hands over the broken limb, emitting some kind of soothing warmth from her palms. The pain slowly faded, but Neona winced and turned away, for the sudden presence of light in the dark hurt her eyes.

Neona made an attempt to recall what happened before her blackout. She remembered the wind and the rain, and the brief flash of light before Peta flung her off his back. The unusual feeling of exhilaration quickly came into her mind, too, and that somehow told her that those memories were not hers, but someone else's. 

_And the voice?_

Neona closed her eyes, and heard the same ringing voice she had heard in the inn and near the stables. Now that she tried to remember, that voice certainly sounded familiar. She was sure she had heard it before, but where…?

"Come, my child. Try and sit up. Your arm should be better now that I've mended it. Just be careful you don't put too much pressure on it …" the lady spoke after a while, this time trying to help Neona up from the ground.

Neona snapped out of her thoughts, and stared at the lady beside her. She sounded just like the voice she had heard; the only difference was that the previous voice was harsh and commanding, and hardly comfortingly gentle like this one. Neona opened her mouth, intending to ask the female her name, but the lady seemed to be able to read minds, and told her even before she could say anything.

"My name is Ara," Ara smiled as she said. "You were wondering, were you not… Neona?"

"H--How did you know my name?" Neona asked, startled that this stranger should know who she was. 

"How? Time tells many stories, my young one… And speaking of time…" Ara turned away, and gazed into the direction of the trees in front of them. 

Neona instinctively cocked her head upwards to look at the sky, and saw that the Moon was no longer concealed by the clouds. Now that the darkness was less dense, Neona could see that Ara had deep red eyes and hair of the same rich colour. A sense of familiarity came over her; Neona began to realise that Ara was no stranger, and in fact, someone she felt she knew very well. 

"…He has come."

There was a rustle of leaves, followed by the unmistakable sound of footsteps heading towards them. Neona heard a neigh which she instantly recognised as Peta's and sure enough, the horse emerged from the trees before them. It was a tall young man beside Peta, leading the horse by the rope tied around its neck.  

"The beast doesn't seem to like you, does it... Gale?" Ara cooed with hidden mockery as she signalled to the man to hand over the rope to Neona. Peta snorted, and struggled to pull away from Gale, who seemed only too relieved to allow the horse to trot over to its rightful master. 

"It is late, and the forest at night is no place for a young girl like you. I say it is best you headed back for home now - you don't want your family worrying about you, do you, Neona?" Ara spoke again.

Neona didn't refuse when the lady offered a hand to mount Peta, for she saw that it was a genuine smile of kindness on her face. She returned the smile with a weak one, secretly wondering about the true identity of the two, and the reason why they were so willing to help her. Yet after several moments of deep thought, she made up her mind that Ara and Gale were simply two wanderers who found her in trouble and decided to help her out of their goodness of their hearts. As far as she was concerned, no one in the family had enemies, and they weren't very wealthy folk either; so why would anyone want to harm her?

Finally convinced that her saviours had no evil intentions towards her, Neona gratefully thanked both Ara and Gale. The man behind them did not answer, and something told Neona that Gale was rather unhappy, even resentful towards her. Ara, on the other hand, replied cheerfully when Neona expressed her appreciation;

"It's my pleasure to help you, dear Neona. Now I will accompany you back to where you came from, but not to the inn. We will see you to the edge of the woods only, for we will go no further than that. You should be able to ride home from there. And I believe -- your uncle and brother are busy searching for you…"

-----

"Has she returned?" Anshar's voice was full with worry as he asked his nephew. His eyes were glancing over the youth's shoulder, almost as if he expected Neona to turn up at that very moment.

"No… she hasn't…" the dark-haired boy answered instantly, appearing to be equally worried about his sister. "I've checked everywhere, including the stables. Her horse… Peta is missing from the field as well…"

Whatever colour left in Anshar's face drained away when he heard that Peta was gone too. "The nearby shops…" he muttered. "What about them? H…Have you tried looking for her there?"

"No. But I'll go now." Axel wasted no time, and hastily made off towards the building nearest to the inn. 

Anshar gritted his teeth in frustration, nervously running his fingers through his greying hair. He moved his eyes from the counter at which he was staring blankly earlier, in hopes that he might stumble across some clues giving him Neona's whereabouts. His mind was clogged with thoughts of fear and he anxiously hoped that the child was safe. Anshar had not been exceptionally protective of Neona without a reason - he had lost her mother before, and he wasn't letting any danger near her for that very cause.

His eyes strayed out of the window, settling at the far end of the field; the Donoma Woods. He didn't pause long to think of the possibilities, and immediately headed towards that direction. Anshar ran as fast as his legs could go through the muddy ground, only stopping when he heard a familiar voice.

"Papa!!" It was Neona, waving at him from Peta's back as the horse galloped in his direction. A wide smile of relief spread across his face, and all that Anshar could think of when he pulled his niece into his arms was how grateful he was to see her again. 

"Where did you go?? We were so worried about you!" he asked her when he finally found the words. 

"I… I'm sorry, Papa… I was just riding Peta, and…"

Neona stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she stumbled; Anshar catching her just in time. Anshar shook the unconscious girl by the shoulders as he called her name, but Neona didn't stir at all. He searched around desperately for something or someone to help revive Neona, worry creeping into his heart once more. Alas, he found something, but what he saw froze him on the spot. 

"Oh Lord…"

There was a reflection of the Moon in a nearby puddle, but that image of the Moon…

It was red - the colour of blood.  


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two ~ Of Secrets and Riddles

The Temple of Spring - as it seemed to Naiya every time she came - was almost completely deserted, and as quiet as one would find the forest in the coldest of winters. Yet it was not lifeless, for Spring was the season of birth and renewal, and therefore it would seem absurd if the House of its Goddess should smell of Death's silence.

Naiya smiled secretly as she walked through the great stone entrance into the Temple, taking care to stay right behind her parents while she busied herself by looking at the intricate carvings on the walls. She had taken the trouble to appease Lord and Lady Hu by following them to the Temple, so she decided that she might as well make the best out of the situation. Naiya herself was not much of a religious person, but her parents were loyal devotees of the Temple of Spring who paid homage to the Spring Goddess every Wednesday. 

Just as they were passing by the west wing of the main hall, Naiya stopped, and headed towards the spring located nearby. It was built against the wall, where water trickled down into a semi-circular pool. The blue-haired girl leaned over the low wall surrounding the water, and peered into the water, trying to judge the depth of the spring. 

There was something unusual about that spring, and Naiya believed that her intuition could not be wrong. She reached out for the surface of the water, and allowed its iciness creep up her outstretched hand. The coldness of the water seemed to slowly freeze her heart, but Naiya smiled calmly at this, knowing that no worries could penetrate a solid and frozen soul. 

Naiya didn't linger long at the spring, and hurried back to her parents the moment she noticed they were drifting too far away from her. Lord and Lady Hu did not realize that their daughter had wandered off temporarily, but Syuei the servant girl did, being just beside her young mistress when Naiya crept off towards the spring. Naiya put a finger to her lips, and Syuei, being able to understand the signal, nodded silently as her mistress lead her towards the same spring she had left earlier. 

"Keep guard for me…" Naiya whispered to Syuei, looking around once more to make sure there was no one else nearby. Her parents had disappeared into the neighbouring hall, and there was nobody left in the hall in which the two girls were in. 

"Yes… I'll tell you if anyone comes." Syuei answered as she helped her young mistress over the low stone wall. The order came as nothing unusual to Syuei, who had received numerous similar orders on previous occasions. 

Naiya smiled gratefully at Syuei and slipped into the pool, as quiet as ice would touch the surface of water. The water swirled around her, melting her silk garments before replacing them in a suit of white and blue that clung to her svelte body. A glowing symbol appeared on her forehead, shining blue at first, and it remained that way for several seconds until the light slowly dimmed away. 

She was no longer Naiya. She was now Mercury, the Senshi of Ice.       

-----

The place was foreign to her. 

She did not know of a land so lonely, charred black with heaps of twisted metal and shattered glass. The earth smelled putrid of Death, soaked in the blood of those who lay lifeless before her. The silence that hung in the air was eerie and hardly shaken by the occasional breeze that swept mournfully across the barren grounds. 

Where was she? She glanced about nervously as she wrapped her arms around her trembling body. This was not her home, or the home she had expected to return to. Her eyes began to well up with tears; she did not like this fearful place, and all she wanted to do was to go back to where she truly belonged. 

She made her way slowly through all the debris, desperately hoping that she was only having a nightmare. A quick flash of light caught her eye, and she soon found that it had come from a mirror, lying in shards just in front of her feet. It reflected her image; a young girl of fourteen, with peach-coloured hair tied up in two plaits and teary blue eyes. She held out a hand, wanting to pick up a piece of glass, but quickly drew back when she felt a stinging pain in her finger. 

"Don't touch anything…" There was a hint of urgency in the voice that hissed at her, and when she twirled around, she found herself face to face with a tall hooded stranger. She saw that it was a woman, from the cold blue eyes under the hood. The female suddenly grabbed hold of her bleeding hand, causing her to let out a cry of surprise.

"Hurry… You must go now, before she finds you."

-----

"So… You say you saw a lady in white, riding on a horse towards the Donoma Woods?"

"Yes, Your Highness…" The old guard answered, bowing as much as his ageing back would allow him. He had his head lowered, but he kept the throne within his sight, together the person sitting upon it. It seemed absurd, he thought, that he should bow before this child. She was merely a _girl_, and one only fifteen. What did she possibly know about ruling a whole empire, or what it meant to be _Queen_?   

"She seemed to be moving weightlessly, wasn't she? …In a glowing orb of light?" Phoenix continued, her golden eyes apathetically scanning the shabbily-dressed man in front of her.   

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"And what makes you so sure you haven't seen a ghost?"

The old man stumbled when he heard this. He lifted his face - now drained of colour - and looked at Phoenix with his mouth agape. He was speechless, and even more dumbfounded when he noticed the wry smile playing on the child's face. Then, as he returned his head to its bowed position, the elderly guard quickly realised something he wished he had acknowledged earlier.

Phoenix was indeed just a child. But she was still Queen, and one not meant to be belittled.

"Ah… You may have seen a ghost, Guard Edgar, but you have been kind and thoughtful enough to report it to the Queen…" Phoenix finally broke the silence, not wanting to prolong the unnecessary delay. Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, so much that Edgar was beginning to shift uncomfortably in his spot.  

Xia Yan had been beside her mistress all this while; listening quietly to the news the guard brought, and what Phoenix had to say in response. She heard the snigger when the old man almost toppled over, and saw the widening smile when the guard Edgar failed to give a satisfactory answer. Xia Yan sensed that her mistress was being rather sadistic today, judging from the way she was questioning the poor man. 

"But we all do make mistakes, don't we, Guard Edgar? For example, you said you saw this - ghost - last evening. It's nearly noon now. You are a bit late - slow, I'll say - when it comes to reporting. The Kingdom doesn't need such incompetence, don't you think so?" Phoenix cooed, and eyed the guard with mock sympathy. Edgar flinched at this, much to the child's amusement.

"However…" Phoenix paused deliberately, intending to alarm him even more. "I think I do have a solution to your problem. A way to allow you to prove your worth… But listen carefully - I am only saying this once: There is a hawk that flies in the Present, but it can see not only the obvious of this Time - its eyes reach even the glory of the Past and the unknown Future. Bring me such a bird, and I _may_ consider forgiving you."

The guard's face brightened, but only for a short while. He blanched again when Phoenix reached the end of her words. When he finally found his tongue, he bowed low, croaked an inaudible apology, and thanked the Queen for being merciful. He was only too grateful when Phoenix dismissed him, and when she did, he scampered out of the hall as fast as his legs could carry him. 

"I don't remember sending a lion after him…" Phoenix sniggered when Edgar had gone out of sight.

Xia Yan heard this, but chose not to answer immediately. Instead, she gazed at the golden-eyed girl, almost as if she wished to know what exactly her mistress was thinking about. And Phoenix, noticing Xia Yan's curiosity, turned to her companion, the expression on her face now less harsh.    

"You are becoming more inquisitive lately, aren't you, dear?" Phoenix sighed, a ghost of a smile appearing on her lips. "You wish to ask me whether I think he was making up the story, true?"

The one in grey nodded silently. 

"Your vision yesterday wasn't a fraud, and you know that well. It wasn't a ghost he saw, and I doubt not his story, only his loyalty to his queen."  

-----

_You must go now, before she finds you…_

Neona opened her eyes, and found herself staring confusedly at the ceiling above. _Go_? But why… and _where_? She looked around for a clue, and when she eventually realised where she was, she groaned, and buried her face in her hands.

It was only a dream, and she had been in her room all the while. 

Neona pushed the covers off her body, and slowly clambered out of her bed. _Noon_, she mumbled upon drawing the curtains open. How long had she been asleep? Neona tried to retrace her memories, allowing her mind to wander off to the previous day's events. She could only recall fuzzy bits and pieces of sights and sounds, but she was certain that they were not merely figments of her imaginations. Yes, _Ara_and _Gale_ - they were real, weren't they?

What about the dream - the one she just had?

Her mind was now more alert when she came to think of the nightmare. She was quite sure it was _only_ a dream, but it was strangely vivid; so much so that Neona began to find it disturbing. It almost seemed that it wasn't a dream after all, but a forgotten memory…

"…I don't know, Axel… I mean…" 

Neona pulled herself back to reality at the sound of the voice. She recognized that voice. It was Anshar's, but tainted with worry - just like the way he sounded the night before. Curious, Neona headed for the stairs leading to the hall, and quietly sat crouched at the very end of the corridor. Sure enough, she spotted Anshar at a table below, and Axel sitting in front of him. 

"I'm worried for her, Axel. I lost her mother once, I cannot possibly let the same thing happen again…" her uncle sounded very much frustrated, and the younger man opposite him seemed genuinely concerned about this. "The Moon last night… I saw it. Its reflection was red. Blood red."

"The colour of danger?" Axel said in response. Neona started to find the conversation puzzling; she couldn't comprehend why Anshar was speaking of a _red moon_, and most importantly, why he was referring to her late mother as if she was only Neona's mother, and not both Neona's and Axel's.

"I'm not sure whether it means Neona is the one in danger, or Selenity herself…"

"But I thought you said that Neona's mother died a long time ago…?" Axel looked at the older man questioningly. Anshar paused momentarily, and ran a hand nervously through his hair.

"Seventeen years ago, yes. But after yesterday's happening, I can't help feeling that she's still… alive…"

Neona let out a startled cry upon hearing Anshar's confession. Her hands were trembling as they covered her mouth, and her brain raced to piece together the bits of information she had heard. If what he'd said was true, then it meant that she was neither his real niece, nor Axel's real sister. And her mother - she was actually alive?

"Neona?" Anshar grew pale the moment he caught the girl eavesdropping their conversation. He forced a smile, desperately hoping that she hadn't actually heard anything she wasn't meant to hear. 

But she had, and unfortunately, far from calm after learning the truth. Neona threw him a bitter glance, before running back to her room, and slamming the door behind her. Anshar turned to Axel, looking very lost and shattered. The young man sighed, and got up from his seat, appearing impressively calm in the situation. 

"I… I'll go and see if she's alright."  

-----

The bottom of the pool was farther than she had expected.

Naiya was not at all disturbed by this, and continued propelling herself through the water. She moved so effortlessly it almost seemed that she was part of the substance itself. She did not stop until she finally reached the bottom, and when she did, she pulled herself nearer to the stone wall, and began examining the surface.

There was nothing unusual at first, and Naiya could only see carving after carving. But as she moved towards the center of the wall, she discovered that that particular part of the bottom sloped downwards, and ended in a hollow in the wall. Being quick to act, Naiya swam into that concave, and found what she had expected to find:

A secret door.

It was not carved out of stone like the rest of the wall, but was instead, made of metal. The door was rusted in several parts, and from this, Naiya deduced that it had been underwater for quite some time - but not very long. She could not find a lock of any kind on the door, so there had to be a knob or a disc nearby - something which she could use to open the entrance.

However, Naiya did not linger to look for a way to open the door. She sensed a foreign movement in the water, and it meant that her time was up. She left the hole, and started swimming back up. As she approached the top, she saw Syuei peering down into the pool, her face looking worryingly anxious. 

When Naiya eventually broke through the surface of the water - no longer Mercury, but herself once again - she learned why Syuei looked so nervous. The servant girl was there to pull her up when she reached the top, and whisper into her ear that Lord and Lady Hu had noticed her disappearance. Sure enough, she caught sight of her parents from over Syuei's shoulder, and they were already heading their way.

"Quick! Pretend that I've fallen into the spring…" she hissed urgently at Syuei, who immediately understood, and began shouting as if her mistress had really accidentally fallen into the pool.   

Naiya did her part by pretending to cough and splutter horribly - very much an exaggeration, but nevertheless good enough to convince her parents that she had truly leaned too far over the barrier and consequently toppled into the water. Lady Hu was extremely displeased to hear this, and blamed Syuei for not looking after Naiya properly. 

"Such nonsense you get yourself into!" Lord Hu muttered angrily while Naiya whispered an apology and her gratitude to Syuei behind his back. The day's trip was ruined - Lord Hu had no other choice but to cancel the rest of their plans at the Temple, and head home.  

-----

Tempest watched silently from the shadows as the Hu Family left the spring for the Temple's main entrance, her silver eyes gleaming in the dark. She could not understand how the Hu's daughter could find the door at the bottom of the spring, or how she had managed to slip past her guard in the first place. 

_Then she must know…_

There was a secret behind that door hidden in the spring, and if the girl should come in search of it again, she'd be ready for her. 


End file.
